This website uses cookies primarily for visitor analytics. Certain pages will ask you to fill in contact details to receive additional information. On these pages you have the option of having the site log your details for future visits. Indicating you want the site to remember your details will place a cookie on your device. To view our full cookie policy, please click here. You can also view it at any time by going to our Contact Us page.

ecom handheld computer enables paradigm shift in mining

17 April 2015

The recent MSHA approval for ecom’s i.roc Ci70 -Ex handheld computer (PDA) with barcode scanning capabilities enables new levels of safety and productivity in mining locations. The i.roc Ci70 -Ex is the latest development in ecom‘s successful i.roc product range and the first PDA to have been jointly developed in conjunction with Intermec/Honeywell.

Mineral coal mining is one of the most challenging and complex industrial segments of the energy production sector and as such enjoys international acclaim. The organisation and coordination of staff members, machines and material is a major logistical challenge for companies, employees and agencies. Thousands of miners work under extreme conditions twenty four-seven.

To mine and extract the anthracite coal at such great depths, it is necessary to cover long distances underground to get the workers and machines to the correct working site. Smooth processes, thorough human resource planning and a high efficiency of materials and vehicles are crucial for successful mining. One of the biggest challenges is the logistical planning and successful transportation of the miners, their working materials and the coal itself.

Communication, logistical planning and successful extraction are often times without mobile devices and done well below today’s state-of-the-art. Lack of efficiency, high manpower requirements, insufficient planning and the inability to analyse data and procedures signalled a clear need for a high technology mobile solution. What was once handled by paper, clipboards and unnecessary staff costs, may now be handled by a computer-based communication system and explosion-proofed handheld computers. The goal of this change is to improve the flow of materials, better plan the workforce and improve the efficiency of transportation and storage, as well as ensuring a better capacity utilisation of machines and vehicles.

With innovative developments in mobile communication and identification systems that may be incorporated into mobile computers for explosive environments, ecom instruments GmbH responds to the latest requirements. The result is embodied by the i.roc Ci70 -Ex, a mobile computer that in many aspects points to an industrial revolution for ex-protected handheld computers, especially in the mining sector.

The i.roc Ci70 -Ex is the latest development in ecom‘s successful i.roc product range and the first PDA to have been jointly developed in conjunction with Intermec/Honeywell. This makes it a great mobile computer – not least because of its many features that are unique to mobile computing in explosive environments.

With ecom – leading provider of mobile devices for use in explosive areas and Snively Inc - echnology specialist focused on Safety and Automation have combined their competence and achieved world´s first successful US Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) certification for this one-of-a-kind intrinsically-safe handheld computer the i.roc Ci70 -Ex will revolutionise the mining industry and increase safety and productivity in mining and other hazardous environments.

It also comes with the highest number of global approvals for use in such areas – from ATEX through IECEx to NEC – and it is also entirely compatible with all applications developed for the Intermec 70 series, which means that it can be incorporated into existing systems.

All pictures are property of ecom instruments.

Brief profile of ecom

Globally, ecom instruments is the leading provider of mobile devices for use in explosive areas, whether including chemicals and petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, oil and gas production, mining or energy and the environment. For almost 30 years, ecom has set the standards and gathered comprehensive expertise in explosion protection for daily use in hazardous industrial areas across the globe. In its four core disciplines of communication, mobile computing, portable hand lamps and measurement calibration, ecom instruments offers a huge variety of innovative and proven solutions.

Snively Incorporated is a leader in designing and developing cost effective custom software solutions. Snively has been developing solutions for over 25 years across all platforms. With the emergence of mobility our applications are going mobile. Developer of the Mine Safety Tracker, a leading software application that meets the demands of MSHA compliancy and reporting.